Potato planter



.Fe 2, 1936. e. HOFLER ET AL POTATO PLANTER Filed Dec. 14, 1953 PatentedJune 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POTATO PLAN TER Gregor Hiiflerand Willi Seikel, Altenmittlau, Germany 1 Claim.

The object of our invention is a potato-planter, the isolating device ofwhich consists in a wormshaped shaft. With the well known arrangementsof this kind the worm-shaft is placed with- 5 in a trough, sometimes twoor more worms are arranged aside of each other.

The object of our invention is distinguished from the above mentioned byproviding a smooth roller in parallel to the worm-shaft, rotating in thesame direction. In comparison to the well known arrangements a progressis obtained in that way, that the tubers cannot be mashed and ,he germsor buds cannot be pressed ofi, while at the same time a perfectisolation of the single tubers is guaranteed. Also it is appropriate tojournal the roller higher than the worm-shaft and to arrange both in aposition slanting upwards towards the dropping end. For the purpose ofan exact dropping of the tubers a cam can be provided at the end of theroller.

The invention is illustrated by way of example on the enclosed drawing.

Fig. 1 shows in a longitudinal section a diagrammatical illustration ofa potato-planter,

fastened onto a plough, designed for planting one single row of tubers.The object of the invention may also be used for machines plantingseveral rows of tubers at the same time.

Fig. 2 shows a view from above of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in enlarged scale the wormshaped shaft and the roller withthe driving gear.

Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the wormshaft and the roller.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate details of the potatoplanter.

For the purpose of an exact isolation of the single tubers, theworm-shaft l and the roller 2 are inclined towards the hopper 3.Furthermore they are thus arranged, that the roller is journalled higherand that the worm-shaft and the roller rotate in the same direction. Thetubers to be planted are transported within the spiral turns of the wormtowards the dropping tube,

sliding along the rotating surface of the roller 2. The worm-shaft lrotates in such manner, that the tubers are shoved against the roller 2.The roller 2, rotating at the same time in upward direction, a damagingof the seed-potatoes by means of squeezing or mashing is avoided.Furthermore by means of this rotation of the form-shaft and the rollerin connection with the above mentioned incline towards the hopper 3 thetubers moving within the spiral turns of the worm and exceeding therequired number, are shoved back towards the preceding spiral turn. Thethrowing-out of the single tubers, after having moved through the lastspiral turn, is efiected by means of a cam 5 of the roller 2. 5 As theworm and the roller rotate at the same number of revolutions, thedropping of the tubers always ensues when the following tuber lieswithin the last spiral turn of the worm.

The drive of the machine from the plough 10 is done by means of arunning wheel 8, in connection with gears on the worm-shaft l and theroller 2. The potato, dropped into the planting tube, is held inposition by means of the additional plough-share 6 until it has beencovered 15 by the ground, thrown up by means of the main plough-share l.

The hopper 3 may be provided with an adjustable partition [4, arrangedat the side of the projection, containing the worm-shaft l and theroller 2, and fastened to the wall I2 of the hopper, situated next tothe worm-shaft I by means of a joint l3, or in some other suitable way,the partition being adjusted according to the size of the tubers orpotato-slices to be transported. 25 For this purpose the partition I isbrought into a more or less inclined position towards the side wall I2of the hopper, by means of adjusting the set-screws I5 or the like,which pass through the side wall l2 and thrust against the partition M,in order to regulate the space between the partition l4 and the roller2. (Fig. 5.)

The roller 2 may also be provided with a spiralshaped projection l0,starting about at the middle of its circumference and being led towardsthe higher situated end of the roller and following the spiral turns ofthe worm-shaped shaft I, thus preventing the tubers from falling back,when 40 the machine is used on rising ground. Preferably the surface llof the said projection It), turned towards the tubers or potato-slicesto be transported, is curved inwardly. (Fig. 6.)

We claim: 45

In a potato planter, a worm having a spiral of a depth and pitch toconvey single tubers, and a roller arranged parallel thereto, means forrotating the roller and worm in the same direction, and a cam on the endof the roller opera- 50 tive to engage and displace tubers from theworm.

GREGOR HiFLER. WILLI SEIKEL.

